Big Board 1.0 covered the tiers. Today Tim Chisholm from TSN.ca joins me to help slot players into those tiers as we discuss some of the guys mentioned in his latest column. Come the fifth pick and a point guard on the board, the debate will surely come down to Kemba Walker versus Brandon Knight. We cover the strengths and weaknesses of both players, and ask the question that regardless of their NBA projection, which one is a better fit for the Raptors, and which suits DeMar DeRozan as a sidekick. As we find out, the player with the higher upside may not be the best pick for the Raptors given their circumstance and the short nature of Colangelo’s contract.

The length of Colangelo’s contract comes up again when discussing drafting prospects (with buyout clauses!) such as Jonas Valanciunas. Tim goes over the situation with Valanciunas and why the Raptors might want to avoid a player who, despite having a desirable work-ethic and inside presence, hasn’t wowed in his domestic league. The alternative of Kawhi Leonard is analyzed but caution to the wind is thrown as we draw parallels with players such as Sonny Weems and Joey Graham. The selection is looked at in the context of the Raptors’ severe need for three-point shooting.

The curious case of Bismack Biyombo is covered with a comparison drawn to Serge Ibaka, and the question is asked: If Biyombo turned out to be as good as Serge Ibaka, would he be worth the fifth pick? The consensus appears to be that the ROI on a pick this high needs to be something better, weak draft or not.

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This I can explain. His low usage rate when he is on the floor minimize his impact on team stats, such as team O/D rating and even plus minus (since that stat also accounts for the other members of the rotation. However, when he is being used, his individual stats, or the stats that are only dependant on his contributions, he looks pretty good, pretty great even.

Basically, like what everyone else has been saying, it comes down to usage rate. Involve him enough in the offense and there's no reason why his individual efficiency won't be reflected in the team stats.

Now here's where you might say "but the raptors lose more when he shoots more than average, so the usage rate argument doesn't hold up". That's a fair point, but I would argue that Jonas often gets those extra field goals when A) the guards are putting up a ton of bricks and Jonas is cleaning the glass, or B) he's a last resort after its clear that the other scoring options aren't working. In both scenarios, the team as a whole is playing below average, so it makes sense that they would win a lower percentage of games.